5 things you need to know Wednesday

Nov. 27, 2013
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Traffic moves in heavy rain in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013. A cold front associated with the massive storm moving across the country is expected to plunge temperatures by Thanksgiving. Safe travel in bad weather comes down to speed, according to Bill Van Tassel, manager of driver education for AAA. "It's much harder to get into trouble if you're going at a speed where your tires can maintain traction on the surface," says Van Tassel. (AP Photo/Northwest Florida Daily, Mark Kulaw) ORG XMIT: FLPLA101 / Mark Kulaw AP

by Editors, USA TODAY

by Editors, USA TODAY

A major, fast-moving winter storm stalking the East is on track to create delays at major East Coast airports at peak Thanksgiving travel time. The system is bringing heavy rain along the East Coast from Atlanta through Boston, with sleet and freezing rain farther inland, from the Mid-Atlantic and along most of the Appalachians. While moving quickly as it rolls out of the nation's midsection, the timing puts it smack on the East Coast as travelers head out for the holiday.

'Dancing with the Stars' crowns new champ

Amber Riley and her pro partner Derek Hough were crowned the winners of the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars. Riley said: "I want to let women of all sizes out there know - you can do whatever you put your mind to! It doesn't matter what size you are, what color you are. You can do whatever, whatever, whatever you put your mind to!"

Lara Logan on leave of absence for '60 Minutes' report

CBS News correspondent Lara Logan is taking a leave of absence after coming under fire for using a discredited source for a 60 Minutes story on the attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi. In October, Logan reported a harrowing eyewitness account of the deadly attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi. The source, a security guard, said he fought off a militant at the facility and saw the body of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens at a local hospital. It was later revealed that the source had told his employer and the FBI that he had in fact been nowhere near the scene.

Review: New iPad Mini comes up big

Black Friday is almost here, and for those seeking a smaller tablet, the iPad mini comes up big. USA TODAY tech columnist Ed Baig said he's been using the latest Mini for a few weeks and thinks it's the best small-screen tablet on the market. It's not necessarily the best value for a price-sensitive consumer, however, given such strong and less expensive alternatives as Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX.

Anti-gay rant on check may have been a hoax

A restaurant at the center of a firestorm over an anti-gay note supposedly left on a waitress' check said it will review computer records and security cameras to determine whether the incident was a hoax. The veracity of what Gallop Asian Bistro waitress Dayna Morales first said two weeks ago was thrown into doubt Monday when a husband and wife came forward to claim that the check they saw on the news looked like theirs. The problem, they said, was that they indeed had left Morales a tip and they never left her any message.